Glaciers Flashcards
what holds the most water in the hydrosphere
Oceans - about 97%
what are the two largest non-ocean component of water distributed in hydrosphere
largest is glaciers (2.15%)
groundwater - 0.62%
what is a glacier
a large accumulation of LAND ice affected by present of past flowage
how do glaciers behave
behave plastically (ie they flow as one large mass of ice without breakage)
what does it mean that glaciers are plastic
that they move as a flow, one large mass of ice moving without breaking
are glaciers accumulation of sea ice
NO - land ice
what latitudes have glaciers shaped landforms
middle and high latitudes
what is an example of a country largely impacted by glaciers
Canada
why are large bodies of ice plastic
because the pressure on the bottom of the mound of ice compresses it
can ice slide down a slope
YES with aid of gravity
how do glacial ice sheets affect global warming
- they reflect sunlight = high albedo = cooling effect
- affects global heat transfer = blocks the movement of heat through the landscape = cooling effect
- volume of ice affects sea levels = the buildup of water ON LAND lowers the sea level
what are 6 types of glaciers
- valley/alpine
- ice sheet
- ice cap
- outlet glaciers and ice streams
- piedmont glaciers
- tidewater glaciers
what are alpine/valley glaciers
long, narrow mountain glacier occupying the FLOOR of a trough-like valley
what is the driving force of alpine/valley glaciers
gravity
what are two ways alpine/valley glaciers move
basal sliding
plastic flow
describe basal sliding
when the temperature at the base of the glacier is above melting temp and so melting can occur.
Melting facilitates glacier movement as friction is reduced and so the ice can slide over the valley floor.
describe plastic flow
the internal flowage of the ice based on the weight on top of the bottom layer of glacier
what does the rigid zone mean for alpine/valley glaciers
the top of the glacier where ice behaves brittlely (not plastic like at bottom)
what forms in the rigid zone of alpine/valley glaciers
crevasses
describe the upper and lower part of alpine/valley glaciers
upper - glacier is brittle
lower - glacier is plastic
contrast zone of accumulation vs zone of ablation for glaciers
accumulation
- glacier is growing (based on gaining more snow than melting)
ablation
- glacier is evaporating/melting (receding)
how can alpine glaciers slide downhill
on mud and meltwater
what is the rate of movement for alpine glaciers
about a few centimeters/day to several meters/day
is the movement of alpine glaciers always slow
NO
what is a surge in terms of alpine glaciers
rapid movement of alpine glaciers (up to 60 m/day) for several months
what type of glacier is this
alpine/valley glacier
what are ice sheets
large thick plate of glacial ice moving outwards in all directions
how do ice sheets affect global climate
- reflect sunlight = cooling effect
- affects the entire global heat transport NOT just local ones because of sheer volume
- lowers sea levels
how do ice sheets move
they start from a central high location and move downward/outward in all directions
what are two ice sheets on Earth
- Greenland ice sheet
- Antarctic Ice Sheet
what type of glacier is this
ice sheets
what is an ice cap
a glacier that flows on top of topography
how does an ice cap glacier grow
starts at top of topography and flows in all directions
how is an ice cap similar yet different to ice sheet
both start at topographical highs and flow in all directions but ICE CAPS ARE SMALLER
what type of glacier is this
ice cap
what type of glacier is this
Piedmont glacier
what are outlet glaciers and ice streams
valley glacier or stream of ice that grows out of an ice cap or ice sheet
what do outlet glaciers form
fjords
what large body of ice does a outlet glacier flow from
ice cap OR ice sheet
what type of glacier is this
outlet glacier/ice stream
what are piedmont glaciers
an outlet glacier that forms an ALLUIAL FAN SHAPE
where do piedmont glaciers form
where there is a transition from steep topography to gentle sloping topography
how do tidewater glaciers form
when a valley glacier or outlet glacier starts to grow out onto the sea
what two types of glaciers can form a tidewater glacier
valley glacier or outlet glacier
what type of glacier is this
tidewater glacier
what are the steps for building a glacier
- glacier ice builds up when snowfall in winter EXCEEDS the snow melt in summer
- each annual layer of snow, melt and refreeze cycle hardens the remaining snow
- over time the accumulation of hardened ice compresses the lower layers into hard crystalline ice
- once ice is thick enough the lower layers have enough compression from upper layers that the mass flows plastically
what temperatures are best for glacier formation
temps are low and snowfall is high
what are the steps for glacier formation in a nutshell
snow —> firn (compressed snow) —-> glacier ice
what are some methods of glacier wastage (how glacier lose ice)
- melting
- evaporation
- calving into icebergs
what does calving mean
when tidewater glaciers break off from main outlet glacier or valley glacier into the ocean
what are negative and positive glacier budgets
negative
- receding glacier
- loss of ice is more than ice accumulation
positive
- advancing glacier
- more ice accumulating than is lost
what glacier budget is this
advancing glacier
positive budget
what glacier budget is this
receding glacier
negative budget
what divides the zones of accumulation and wastage
snow line
what is zone of accumulation
part of a glacier’s surface, usually at higher elevations, where there is net accumulation of snow
what zone of a glacier is associated with the production of firn
zone of accumulation
zone of wastage
The lower portion of the glacier where the ice is lost
what is the terminus
the end of the glacier movement associated with the budget
what kind of terminus is associated with positive budget
end of glacier moving downward (advancing the glacier)
what kind of terminus is associated with negative budgetS
end of glacier moving upwards (receding glacier)
what zone of formation is 1
zone of accumulation
what zone of formation is 2
snow line